Seven Must-Read Stories (Week Ending April 9, 2016)

Another chance to catch the most interesting, and important, articles from the previous week on MIT Technology Review.

TR Staffarchive page

April 8, 2016

Tech Slowdown Threatens the American Dream
Despite the allure of apps and social media, today’s digital technologies are doing little to generate the kind of prosperity that previous generations enjoyed, a prominent economist argues. But that doesn’t mean we should give up on innovation.
What If Apple Is Wrong?
New layers of secrecy on smartphones might damage the criminal justice system in return for only marginal gains in our personal privacy.
A $2 Billion Chip to Accelerate Artificial Intelligence
A new chip design from Nvidia will allow machine-learning researchers to marshal larger collections of simulated neurons.
The Rogue Immune Cells That Wreck the Brain
Beth Stevens thinks she has solved a mystery behind brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.
Moore’s Law’s Ultraviolet Savior Is Finally Ready
A long-awaited tool the chip industry needs to keep driving progress is finally working.
Self-Taught Robot Is Ready to Seize Another Warehouse Job
A new robot uses computer vision and machine learning to break down pallets of boxes faster than human workers.
HoloLens Starts to Show How Augmented Reality Can Be Social
A simple gaming demo makes it clear that augmented reality is a lot more fun with others.

Keep Reading

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.